Empathy
by shamaho
Summary: Jennifer Lloyd (see author's note) has started a new life in Tashmore Lake after a rough childhood. Better summ inside, I suck at these.
1. Default Chapter

_Empathy_

_By Shamaho_

_Rating: R, strong violence and crude language, plus some sexual material not suitable for anyone under 16. _

_Disclaimer- I do not own Stephen King's character Mort Rainey, or any other character from Secret Window, nor do I own the setting of The Secret Window, and sadly I do not own Joel Madden or any other member of Good Charlotte. I am in no way affiliated with anyone who worked on or starred in the film, or Stephen King, or any member of Good Charlotte. I think you get the picture. If you haven't heard of them before, they're mine, please ask to use them._

_Summary- This story is an other direction for my character Jennifer Lloyd from Halloween 3- The Heirs of Michael Myers (Under the name sharonarnotdon on this site) (One of my Halloween fics) to have gone in, if she had escaped before the jail had blown up. It will not be hugely if at all focused on events discussed in any story of mine Jennifer is in, maybe I'll bring Michael into the story later on. _

_Basically, Jennifer is grown up and has relocated to the small quiet town Rainey lives in, has heard stories of the 'psychotic murderer' who killed his ex-wife and her lover, but could not be charged as there were no bodies. She's spooked, and shortly after moving there meets Rainey, and also her new neighbor, Joel Madden, who has a home there for work, because of the quiet. Both men develop an interest in the Haddonfield native, and a competition ensues, but the winner may have yet to gain the approval of an even bigger psychopath, Michael Myers. _

_Sharing- If, for any reason you would like me to email you a copy of the story when it is finished, I would be much obliged. I can send it in Word Perfect, Microsoft Word, Wordpad, Notepad, and HTML forms. Please be specific as to which form and state why you want it whether it be for casual reading at random or for posting to a website or other online place. If you do want to post it somewhere, tell me where, and be sure to give full credit. Once you have it for say leisure use I don't care if you toy around with it, add stuff, subtract it, make it one big joke, if you'd like to even share what you've done with it with me I would be more than happy to read it, again, if you plan on posting such versions, let me know, give me credit and be sure to say you revised it._

_Now let's see if Jennifer can feel empathy to a man who's killed, or if she'll fly to the arms of a rock and roll stranger._

* * *

_Chapter One_

_Walk Around Town_

* * *

"I'm really glad you could find time to take me around," Jennifer Lloyd stated gently, brushing a brown lock of hair behind her ear. "I don't know anyone around here, I'm no stranger to small towns but it's always helpful to have a look around with someone that knows the place." 

Clinton Jamison smiled, nodded as he turned onto a more remote road. "It was no problem Miss Lloyd, I know what it's like to be the stranger in town." He pointed to a building ahead. "That there's the drugstore, it's also a diner, and a food mart." They drove in silence for about ten minutes when a long driveway came into view, it ran through the woods, and she could just barely make out a small wooden cabin.

"What's that?"

Clinton pulled the truck aside and bent closer over the steering wheel to look. "Oh, that's Mort Rainey's place, you ain't got no reason to be up around there."

She frowned and squinted, thought she had seen someone in the window highest to the top. "Mort Rainey? I've heard of him, he wrote that one story, the short one, The Secret Window? I read it when it was printed."

"That's him," Clinton snorted, put the truck back into gear and drove off. "Sick son of a bitch."

She looked at him, shocked, to say the least. "I take it you don't like his work?"

"I mind his work just fine," Clinton growled to himself, then looked at her solemnly. "It's him I hate." He saw how she didn't register what he was saying, or at least why he was saying it, and so he nodded back to the fading driveway. "About a year ago, Rainey went nuts, killed his almost ex-wife and her lover."

"That's . . . terrible. But, if he did why is he free?"

"Police can't find the bodies." Clinton said, turning back onto the main road. "They looked all up and down the property, his cellar, checked to see if the walls was hollow, didn't find a damn thing, not even blood."

"Oh," she frowned and looked up into the middle aged man's face. "How do they know he killed them?"

"She just disappeared, so did the guy. It was no secret they was going through a divorce, and he hated the guys guts and was just as pissed off at her as could be. He caught her cheating on him 'bout six months before he killed her. End 'o' story, no pun intended."

"Huh," she sighed as he pulled up to her home. "Well, thanks again, I had a great time, and uh, well, I guess I'll see you around."

He grinned and nodded as she stepped out of the truck, he saluted her. "Welcome to town, Miss Lloyd."

She smiled and turned from her door. "Call me Jen." And she unlocked and opened it, stepped in and closed it, went straight to the answering machine as she heard Clinton pull out of the driveway, she looked at the flashing number '2' and sighed, pressed the play button.

"Hey Jen, it's Jamie, just calling to see if you're ok, call me back, 346-555-8784. Love ya."

Jennifer smiled more brightly and shook her head, the next message was from a solicitor, and she deleted it without thought. She sighed and picked up the phone, dialed Jamie's new number and listened to it ringing, soon it picked up. "Hello?"

"James, it's Jenni."

"Hey!" Her younger sister's voice sounded enthralled. "How you doin', what's it like up there?"

"Mmm, quiet. I like it. Really nice people and not a lot of gossip."

"That's good. I like it here too, kind of reminds me of Haddonfield."

Jennifer paused, sat down. "How's that?"

"Well it's set up exactly like it, minus the serial killer who stalks his prey on Halloween."

"James that isn't even funny, he came close to killing us a couple of times."

"I know, I know." There was an awkward silence for some time, then Jennifer asked her.

"Hey, um, do you remember reading The Secret Window?"

"Describe."

"Mort Rainey, it was a short story in that one magazine like, in I don't know, '95, '96. Creepy, guy kills cheating girlfriend."

"Oh, yeah, Wynn gave us that to read to scare us. Why do you ask?"

"Rainey lives up here, the guy that took me around, he's a realtor here that sold me this house, he said Rainey's been accused of murdering his ex-wife and her boyfriend."

"Oh yeah, I remember reading about that, they ever find the bodies?"

"No, when did you read about it?"

"Dunno, bout a year ago."

Jennifer groaned and stood, went to the fridge for a bottle of water. "Great, as always I'm the clueless one."

"Shut up, listen I gotta go, but you keep in touch, ok? We gotta watch out for each other."

"Ok, bye Jamie. I love you."

"Love you too, sis."

She hung up the phone and sipped the water, looked over to the camera lying on the counter, decided to take advantage of the many rolls of film she had by taking some pictures. She grabbed an extra roll of film and walked out, stuffed the extra roll into the pocket of her jeans, then grabbed her keys, locked up and left, taking some pictures of the woods when the driveway of the Rainey place was at her feet, she looked up from the gravel to the house in the distance, snapped a picture, decided to go closer, just a bit.

She noticed no car around the house and figured with the escaping experience she had she would be able to successfully get away unnoticed if he should pull up, by way of the woods or maybe some other way, she wasn't sure. She walked a few feet so the house was in good view, snapped a picture, then she noticed the large corn stalks in a surrounded garden, overlooked by the window she had thought she'd seen Rainey in earlier that day. She turned her attention to the corn, snapped some pictures, then one or two of the window, she turned to leave the garden and jumped as she was face to face with a man, brown hair highlighted with blonde, small rimmed glasses and the most powerful eyes. He didn't look pleased.

"What the hell are you doing here? What are you, one of those investigators!"

She shook her head and desperately attempted to find her voice, smiled as charmingly as possible, placed a hand to her numbly beating heart. "I'm so sorry! You gave me quite a fright!" She attempted to hide said fear, but he was like an x-ray machine. "I . .. I was just taking some pictures for my sister, I didn't see a car and thought I could get in and out, I'm sorry, it was wrong of me, I'll be going." She moved past him and began walking in the direction of the driveway when his voice called to her.

"You're not from around here, are you? I've never seen you before."

She turned back, he was looking at her with a perplexed expression. She shook her head. "No. I just moved here from Illinois."

He began walking up to her and her pulse began raging again, he extended his hand and she withdrew a bit until he smiled at her, silver braces revealed. "Hi, I'm sorry. I just hate when people snoop around what with the accusations that fly. I'm Mort Rainey."

"I'm sorry again, Jennifer Lloyd." She shook his offered hand.

"Lloyd of Illinois? You're one of them little girls that Halloween guy was after, his niece."

She laughed and shrugged. "Not such a little girl anymore." She slung the camera over her neck. "So, you like corn?"

He chuckled and nodded, looking back to his field, giving her a chance to observe him, his posture, his build, the way his shoulders shook as he laughed and the firm, round shape of his . . . "So when did you move into town?" He asked, turning back around, forcing her to pull her eyes up to meet his the second her saw her.

"Last weekend, actually, things are finally taking shape."

"Well I'm jealous, took me six months to pull my ass into gear!" He placed his hands on his hips, then motioned to the cabin. "Well I gotta go back to work, just ran into town to grab lunch." he motioned to the random burger joint's bag on his step and she nodded. "Well, see you around, maybe."

She began to move away again when he said. "Um, hey, I've got, two burgers you wanna join me?"

She bit her lip, she didn't have anything to do better than this, this could be her chance not only to have some fun but possibly make a friend. But then he had probably ordered with the intention of eating both, he probably had a bigger appetite. "Um, no, I don't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be," as if reading her thoughts he added. "I always get two in case I feel like having another in the fridge before it goes bad and more often than not it does go bad. I'd be happy to let you have it."

She studied him, his friendly expression, her eyes partially squinted, she shrugged. "I guess it would be ok." She stepped into the screened in porch as he held the door open, while she looked around he pocketed the extra roll of film she had lost in the corn patch when she'd spun to look at him.

_It'll CUM in handy, partner._ Shooter's voice snickered in his head, and so he smiled. "I have a feeling that you're absolutely right."

"What's that?" She asked, turning to face him as he stepped in.

"I said 'I hope I didn't give you too much of a fright'." he covered expertly, smiling his usual charming smile, relishing in the way she blushed.

"No," she chuckled softly as he passed her to unlock the door. "I deserved it."

_Bet you can think of a dozen things she deserves and they got nothing to do with what Amy deserved. _Mort's own voice taunted in his head, he smiled and chuckled. "I wouldn't say that."

"Yes I did, I shouldn't have been snooping around."

"Uh, well it's ok. You didn't harm anything." _Except you've got a massive boner coming on, don't you Morty?_ "Yes, yes." He noticed her and said. "Well, let's chow."

After about a half hour of idle conversation about her sister, her parents, Haddonfield, a bit about him and this place she stood from the table and sighed, blushed when she burped, her hand flew to her mouth and she giggled. "Sorry, 'scuse me."

He grinned and stood, walked her to the door. "Well, it was nice to find you snooping around, and then nice to have met you. I'll uh, be seeing you around." She was about to head out when he said. "Oh! Shit, hold on, I want to give you something!" He ran up the stairs and she moved away from the door, calmly made her way over to the coffee table, where a newspaper sat. She lifted it and several, upside down Polaroids slipped out and hit the table, curious she reached down and looked at them.

And her stomach tightened into a knot.

Corpses, the bodies of his ex-wife and her lover, freshly dead, torn to pieces by having a shovel thrust through them repeatedly, the bloody murder weapon nearby. The woman had a cut on her head, and another picture revealed blood coming from her back, she'd been stabbed with something.

She heard him move upstairs.

Quickly she shoved the pictures back into the paper where they'd fallen from, set the paper down and looked to the stairs as he ambled down, a notepad and pen in hand. He moved to her. "I had an awesome time so, I was hoping I could get your number, and address, and I can give you mine, well, you know where I live so I'll give you my number. He scribbled something down, tore a sheet in half, then handed her the pen, pad and half sheet of paper. Afraid to let him know what she'd seen she quickly wrote her address down but paused about the number. "I don't have a phone yet," she lied, faked a smile. "But I can get you the number as soon as I get one."

He smiled that friendly smile that scared her now, then shrugged. "Ok, sounds good to me."

"Great, um, is there any particular time I should call during? I don't want to interrupt your work. . ."

"Mmm, I don't think you need to worry about that." She would have stopped him but he had her wrapped in a kiss so suddenly it was impossible to breathe, soon she shoved him away, unable to look shocked or angry as she tried desperately to catch her breath.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry, I just . . . I know, first time meeting and all, that was kind of . . . Inappropriate. I apologize." He squeezed her hand, despite what his hands had done, she liked the feel, and the kiss had been anything but bad. She shook her head nervously and pointed to the door, an embarrassed smile spreading as she could not move. "I . . . better go, it's getting late."

"Ok, I'll talk to you soon though?"

She nodded. "I have a feeling you will."

He watched her walk out until she was out of sight past the driveway, Shooter came up behind him and watched too, told him.

'She saw the pictures.'

"I know." Mort said dryly, turning to him.

'She could be dangerous. She could reveal you.'

"I'd have them burned by then John. Besides, I think I can keep her mouth shut, if you catch my drift."

'How? By wanking off to the thought of her? Only chance you have of getting to fuck her now is if she gets amnesia because I guarantee after seeing those pictures she's more afraid of you then ever. Plus, she does have a phone.'

"I already knew that."

'How?'

"She asked when she should call, why would she if she didn't have a phone?"

'You're getting better at this.'

"At what?"

'Life.'


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

_Across the Street_

_AN: I realize using members of bands is illegal on , but before you zappers have this story zapped, please see the direction in which it is going, wait a few chaps._

_This chapter takes on a Moulin Rouge twist._

* * *

A week and a half after she had left Rainey's home, dazed but not too confused the house across the street from her became occupied, a moving truck had come, dropped lots of stuff off, but she had never seen the owner enter, nosey as she was, she watched. She made a call to Mort, left a message as he didn't answer, telling him this was her number, she'd gotten a phone. She'd decided to take a nap on the couch when suddenly a blaring noise shot up from the house across the street, guitars and drums. Appalled, she rushed out the door, went to the house and began knocking loudly, a man, close to her age answered, hair thrown over the side of his face in a left side bangs sort of look, deep hazel eyes rounded out by smudged eyeliner, he wore a black hoodie, brass knuckles on it, along with some black, loose pants. She tried to smile as friendly as possible. "Hi, you're new as I recall, I'm Jen Lloyd, I live directly across the street." 

He observed her, and she realized her khakis were at her hips, her shirt was rolled up revealing her tight, molded by time and a lot of running abs. She self consciously pulled the shirt down and he grinned, extended a hand. "Joel Madden, pleasure to met you, Jen."

She got lost in his eyes and refused to let his hand go for a moment, then quickly withdrew hers. "Um, I'm kind of trying to sleep, so, do you think that, maybe you can keep it down? Just a bit?"

"Oh, God, I'm sorry! It was just a warm up, yeah, I'll turn the amps down, I really am sorry, uh, can I or we make it up to you?" He motioned behind him to his twin brother and pals who waved approvingly, sly looks on their faces.

"Uh, how do you mean?"

"Well we were going to go out to dinner, celebrate the new album's success, um, do you have any clue who we are?"

She looked them over, shook her head. "I really never got to listen to much music as a kid, I mean, you look familiar but I can't say exactly who you are."

He grinned, he had a very charming smile, she noted, nothing like Mort's but charming in another way, not as . . . Seductive. "That's cool, we're Good Charlotte."

"Ohhhh I know who you are," she smiled and nodded. "My sister and I were kidnaped as well, kids, andI taped Hold On, it keptme strong whenI was really scared that the people whould find me."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that happened, but I'm glad we clearly helped you through. So how about dinner then?"

Mort could call, he probably wouldn't be too happy. _What the hell? He isn't my boyfriend! He kissed me once and he really shouldn't have!_ But you liked it. _Well, yeah . .. The braces were kind of a turnoff though. _But the tongue was good, you imagined it in other places. . . She looked at him and smiled. "I think that would be great."

"Seven then?" His hazel eyes twinkled down at her.

"Seven."

* * *

Mort listened to her soft, sweet voice and smiled, picked up the receiver and dialed the number she'd left him, after a couple of rings, she answered. "Hello?" 

"Hey, Jen, it's Mort. How's it going?"

"Pretty good, say, I'm going to dinner with some friends tonight, want to come?"

He froze, his own voice ringing in his head. _Friends being another guy that wants to fuck her, his brother and some other guys, that band that just moved into town, they live on her street. _"Wouldn't happen to be a band, would it?"

She was silent a moment, stunned. "How'd you guess?"

"Heard they moved there, make too much noise and so you made them take you out?"

"Heh, I was napping." She admitted with a giggle. "So will you come?"

"I don't know . . ."

She tried to sound convincing. "Pleeeeaaassseee?"

_You wanna hear THAT a lot, Mr. Rainey._ Ah, Shooter! Shut up for a minute!

"All right, how about I'll pick you up and drive?"

"Sounds good, see you at, say, 6:15?"

"Definitely. Bye."

"Bye."

* * *

At six fifteen lights brightened her driveway and she closed the curtain, was about to step out the door when the bell rang, it was funny, he had gotten out of that car pretty fast. She straightened her blouse and opened the door, smiled at a grinning Mort. "Hi, you look great." 

She blushed slightly, shrugged and stepped out, took his offered elbow. "You don't look so bad yourself." He opened the car door and shut it once she'd slid slowly into the passenger seat. She grabbed the belt and buckled in, then turned and looked at him, noticed he'd been watching. "Um," she averted her attention away. "I'm glad you agreed to come, I really don't know these kids and well, it feels good to have someone I do know close by."

"But you don't know me," he drawled, his voice husky with something she'd never been able to understand. "Why did you really want me there?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "It just felt right."

"Ah-hah." He gunned the engine and pulled out of her driveway. "Forgive me for being forward," he made his way into the street and around the corner onto the main street. "But can it be that you're attracted to me? Not just like, ooo he's cute but maybe . . ."

She looked at him, his intuition was almost too good, he understood everything she thought, felt, saw, it was beginning to really scare her. "What?"

He grinned at her seductively and she felt color rise in her cheeks, her heart began to pound. "Sexually? Can you see me as just an all the time random fuck toy?"

If she'd been driving she would have hit the brakes. "Mort, look, I, you were right, I hardly know you and I hardly think. . ." Her heart began to thump even faster as he pulled over into an abandoned part of the park, it was night, no child was playing.

"Would you stop thinking for once in your life and start feeling?" His hand went to her thigh and pushed the skirt out of the way, unbuckled the garter from her thigh highs and began pushing those down, feeling her silky flesh. His voice deepened, mellowed. "All your life you've been running away from your uncle, let yourself _go _for once, hmm? _Discover_ the _woman_ you've become, Jennifer Lloyd."

She could hardly breathe, suddenly her mouth was pasted to his, she felt bare skin after fumbling with his shirt and as their mouths parted and his lips made their way down her throat, she saw Joel's face in her mind, twisted in disappointment. "Wait, Mort, we can't, we'll be late."

He rolled his eyes, finished removing her blouse. "Remind me, then, why you had me pick you up 45 minutes early?"

He was right, the restaurant wasn't far away at all. She gave in to him, totally as she'd never given in to any man willingly before. Michael had been forced on her by Wynn, she was free now, she was a woman.

* * *

"Hey Jen! Um, you never were formally introduced, this is my twin brother Benji, our friends from Maryland, Billy and Paul, and this is Chris, our new drummer." 

"Hi, nice to meet you." She said shaking their hands, blushing when Benji kissed hers as a joke. "Um, I told you about my friend Mort, Mort Rainey, he's a novelist."

"Heard of him, nice to meet you Mr. Rainey."

Mort, rather disappointed by the introduction as her 'friend' smiled as best as he could and shook Joel's hand. "Friend?" he whispered into her ear.

"Friend." She muttered back. "Once and it was in the back of an SUV!"

"I told you I was sorry! The ground was muddy!"

She laughed at him. "I was only joking!" She turned to them. "Um, actually, Mort and I kind of just started seeing each other. Like, today."

"Well here's to you," Paul said, taking down a shot of whiskey.

"There goes our responsible driver." Billy shook his head. "Please, sit."

* * *

Mort had gone to pull the SUV around to the front, only seconds ago, and Jennifer was going towards the front when a hand grabbed her arm, Joel. She smiled at him, he had that look, the look he'd had the entire two hours they'd been here, and it nearly broke her heart, but she tried to ignore it. 

"Hey."

"I don't want you to sleep with him." Joel muttered, pulling her to the side. "I know the rumors, and I don't trust him as far as I can kick him, how do you?"

"I . . ." She turned, hiding her conflicting emotions. "I'm not sure I do. I'm more . . . attracted than trusting."

"If you give yourself to him now that you've been seen in public you're sealing the deal, Jen. I know who you are, I've tracked you as long as I can remember, my mother was an investigator helping Dr. Loomis, I know you sold yourself for so long to keep Jamie safe, to Wynn, to the guards, even to your uncle." His lips fluttered against her ear as he whispered. "Michael Myers."

She gasped, astounded by the overwhelming emotions. "You knew . . . all that?"

"Dr. Loomis." He reminded.

"Oh," she turned back to him, wiping the tears away. "You can't. . ."

"I would never. I'm here to protect you, Benji and I promised Mom to protect you." He shook his head. "I don't know you personally, know what you like, but I do know what's happened to you." Under his breath he touched his nose to hers and whispered half in song. "My gift is my song, and this one is for you, and you can tell everybody, this is your song. It may be quite simple but, now that it's done. Hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words. How wonderful life is, now you're in the world."

She blushed, heard Mort call her name. "I . . . I have to go, home, I'm going home, don't you worry." She rubbed his nose and wiped her wet face dry, pushed past some people and out of the bathroom hallway Joel had pulled her into, met his smiling face at the door and left.

Joel watched her walk away, frowning to himself, he shook his head. "Let her get home safe." He murmured to himself, wiggling the nose she had just rubbed with a smile. He found Benji and the guys in the parking lot moments later. "I told her," he informed them. "She said she'd go home tonight."

"Did you tell her Wynn's looking for her and Jamie?"

"Tomorrow. We have more time then, Mort came for her while I was still . . . Briefing her on Mom and us, Benj. I think she trusts me."

"Then tomorrow, be tomorrow." Benji said softly. "Let's go home."

* * *

Jennifer smiled falsely as Mort helped her from the car, to her surprise he spun her with their connected hands in the air, and she giggled in surprise but soon it melted into the suspicion Joel had left her with. She allowed Mort to embrace and kiss her, so he wouldn't be suspicious, then she moved to the door, began unlocking it when she froze, his lips were spreading hot kisses down her neck. "Mort," she murmured, turned into him. "I'm so tired, not tonight." 

"I have a book signing all day tomorrow and I'll be gone the day after, L.A. isn't a two hour drive."

"I know, but I'm so tired, it's been such as long day, please, two days, I can wait if you can." She tried to hide her nervousness but could hear it in her own voice. She amended it quickly after seeing he'd noticed. "I'm just, it's so much, I'm not used to all of it so, give me two days to take it all in."

_She's nervous about all that, that's true, but somethin' else got to her, Mr. Rainey._

"All right." He whispered, pecking her lips. "All right, two days." For once, he ignored Shooter.

"Ok, goodbye." She kissed him for effect and watched him leave. "Mort?" She called, he turned, the door of the SUV open.

"Yeah?"

"You can trust me."

And for once, he believed her. "All right."


	3. Chapter 3

_Empathy_

_Chapter Three_

_Les L'histoires (Histories)_

* * *

The next morning at around 11:00 Jennifer's doorbell rang. She looked at the front door from her place on the sofa, perplexed as to who would be coming over. With a shrug of indifference she set her book aside and went to answer it, not totally prepared to see Joel standing there, with a grim, unsure smile on his face. "Hi."

His greeting seemed to frighten her all the more, as she found his voice breathtakingly beautiful. "H-hi. Um, d-did you need something?"

He seemed to study her, smiled softly to himself. He shook his head, looked up for really the first time this morning and met her gaze. "Not necessarily, but we do need to talk." He looked around her. "Is Mort there?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "No, he'll be in L.A. for a couple of days. Does this . . . Have to do with . . ."

"Our lives as we know them." Joel joked, gestured to the entrance. "May I?"

"Of course." She stepped aside and allowed him to come in, then closed the door and followed him into the living room. "Uh, please, sit." He nodded his thanks and chose the couch, she nervously sat next to him. She tried to hide her overactive nerves by smiling. "Um, can I get you anything? Some coffee maybe?"

"That's ok. I don't know if I could keep it down." He smirked.

She laughed and nodded. "I hear you."

"Well um, why don't you go first? What's been your life?"

She sighed and shrugged, began slowly. "I was born in Haddonfield when my mom was 18, but there had already been a deal between my dad and Terrance Wynn, the mad doctor that raised me. He sold me to him for $15,000. A year later he sold my younger sister, Jamie for the same amount, and Wynn raised us at Smith's Grove Warren County Sanitarium, 140 miles from Haddonfield, well, at least until we were about four and three. Mom kidnaped us back then, took us to California for a little while, then back to Haddonfield." She paused to sniffled and wipe her nose and under her eyes.

" We lived with her until I was eight, when she faked her death. We lived with my aunt for a while, my dad's sister until Michael came for us. It took him two Halloween's to finally succeed, Loomis tried so hard to protect us. We lived in that Sanitarium until they planned to impregnate Jamie with Michael's baby, we escaped with the help of a nurse. We've lived in a lot of separate places since then, if one of us gets caught, the other won't be found and the whole Druid sacrifice of Jamie and Michael's baby would be pointless and possibly impossible. Depending on who they caught, that person wouldn't rat the other out no matter what." She sighed softly, wiped some escaped tears from her face. "I um, if anything had happened with Jamie, if she hadn't been able to have children or if she was kidnaped, killed sooner than needed, I was um, I was supposed to take her place, that's why they wanted both of us."

Joel shook his head sadly. "God, Jen."

She sniffled and shrugged passively. "It never bothered me, but I didn't want to die. I was born with the knowledge of my destiny and the ability to perform my task, I had more intelligence than most kids my age, other than others like me promised to other children of Thorn. But I knew if I tried, I could have so much more than that. I just, I just want to live a normal life."

"You will, Loomis knew that." She looked into his deep hazel eyes, her red, puffy ones tightened in a perplexed expression. "Wha-what?"

"I was born and raised in Waldorf Maryland, my mother took care of my siblings and I when my dad walked out on Christmas Eve when Benj and I were fifteen. She'd been working with Loomis for years at that point, probably 20, and she didn't give up then. She moved us to Haddonfield so we could more closely monitor you and Jamie at the Sanitarium, she took a job there as Wynn's head nurse . . ."

"Oh my God, she's the one that . . ."

"Got you out. Yeah, she knew when Jamie was to be impregnated was the perfect time. Loomis saw you guys to Haddonfield, secretly, of course. He'd made a deal with Wynn after that, you're spared as long as a loophole in the curse is completed." He watched her expression to make sure she understood, then continued. "If Michael lives, for five years, with a woman of his bloodline and of the mark of Thorn as his Druid wife, the curse will end with all of his living relatives spared. She must bear him at least two children and be totally faithful, the catch is," he swallowed nervously. "She . . . she has to fall in love with him at some point before the fourth year is up."

Afraid, but unsure, she pulled her sweater over her shoulders and asked. "Wh-why are you telling me this?"

For the first time he lowered his gaze and replied. "Because, Jen, Jamie is a stubborn, inward person, she won't change her ways or opinions, she's set in those. But you, you're so open and so . . . You try things before you make opinions and you're so strong, you hang on no matter what. We think that there's a reason for that, we think you were chosen."

"Wait, you want me to marry my uncle that's tried to kill me for 25 years. I mean, ME? And who's WE?"

"Mom, Benj, Loomis and I."

She paused, tilted her head to the right. "Loomis. . . Is alive?"

He nodded. "Old, really weak but alive and well and looking out for you. And Jamie, she's here, staying with him. Jen, Michael's going to be here soon, and he's going to go after who he wants."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"You remember your mom's alive right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, she's in charge of this school in California . . ."

* * *

One week later

A/N: This chapter is assuming Halloween H20 didn't happen in 98, rather Michael will be coming to Hillcrest in 2005.

---

"Now do you feel the need to tell me why we're here or am I going to be left in the dark this entire trip?"

"I didn't say you had to stay, I'm here to help my mom straighten my brother out."

"Don't think I will stick around long, kinda boring here." Mort complained, brushing a twig away from his face as he helped carry her bags to the entrance.

"I won't be here long, only until Halloween."

"Ah," He grinned at her. "Mum's worried."

"Yeah, well, can't blame her. Oh, here, are you coming in or is this where you ditch me?"

"I'll stay actually, Halloween's in three days, I can deal." He grinned, sliding his arms around her waist. "Besides, you'll keep my occupied."

"Sure, if you don't stay in bed all the time."

"Oo, grr, that hurt." She rolled her eyes and stepped into the main office. He grinned when she jumped as his hand made sharp contact with her behind. "Move that ass, slow poke, how'd you ever get away from Michael Myers?"

She nearly froze, it was true, as fit as she was she'd always been slow as all hell. _Michael had always let her go . . ._ She smiled at the friendly old secretary who grinned, hung the phone up and looked to her. "Hello! How can I help you?!"

"Hi, um, my name is Jennifer Lloyd, I'm Miss Tate's . . ."

"Daughter! Oh, well, yes she told me you were coming, welcome to Hillcrest, uh, just let me check to see if she's in with anyone." She pushed the intercom buzzer. "Miss Tate?"

There was a brief pause, then Laurie Strode's gasp came on. "Yes?"

"Jennifer Lloyd to see you."

"Oh! God, yeah, send her right in."

Norma, the kind woman nodded with a smile, and so Jennifer trusted her with her bags and took Mort's hand, stepped into the office where Laurie, under the name Keri Tate, stood nervously from the desk. "Je-jenni?"

"Mom." Jennifer hurried over to her and wrapped her in a brutal, full of emotion hug. "Oh my God! I've missed you!"

"It's ok, oh, it's ok. How's Jamie?" She said, pulling her daughter back.

"Oh, she's fine, fine. Oh, I'm sorry, mom, this is Mort Rainey, we've been seeing each other, he's gonna stay with me."

"Hi, Laurie, Keri around here." She shook his hand.

"Pleasure to meet the wonderful woman that created this wonderful angel."

"Shut up."

"Um, Mort was it? I haven't seen Jen in 17 years do you . . . Would you mind if we talked alone? John's coming down, he'll show you to your room."

"Sure. No problem, see you soon." He kissed her temple and went out, closed the door. Laurie turned to her daughter. "So, Michael's coming here for you?"

"Don't know for sure, but he might." She took an offered glass of vodka and downed it in one gulp. "Sorry I was so quick on the phone, Mort, he's a killer mom, I kind of stumbled into all of this and um," she looked at her lap. "There's a part of me that wants Michael to come take me away from him, 'cause I'm scared."

"You're in a relationship with a man you have no feelings for?"

"No, I do, I really like HIM but I'm scared of that part of him that made him kill. I'm madly attracted to him but, um, I saw what he did to them, his wife and her lover, I saw pictures he took and he doesn't know so I . . . I can't, I can't do this." She buried her head in her arms and began sobbing. "I am SO tired of running, I've been running for so long, I'm just so tired . . . I don't wanna run anymore."

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry." She stood her daughter and wrapped her arms around her, let her cry against her breast. "It's gonna get better. If um, if Michael does come, and I know this sounds crazy, but I want you to do your best to make it livable, like you said on the phone, if he comes it'll work."

* * *

Halloween

"Anything?"

"Nah. What's up?" Jen said, turning from the window and facing her brother. "So how's it?"

"It sucks, no camping, no friends . . ."

"What are you talking about? You have Molly here with you."

"Yeah, but it's never the same without Charlie and Sara."

"Oooo," she laughed and ruffled his hair. "You'll live."

"So what's up with the black? You turned gothic or somethin'?"

She laughed at him. "Sweetie, I was born gothic. No, this is so I'll be ready tomorrow."

He sighed. "Yeah it'd take a while to get there, huh?"

"Well yeah, but that's not why. Tomorrow's Samhain, all Druid weddings are then."

"Must be a busy day, lotsa weddings."

She laughed. "No, not really. Only certain, special couples can and only one a year. Minor couples have to wait until there's time, some wait their whole lifetimes."

"Mm, I'm gonna go play ping pong with Mort." He moved to the door and paused. "Oh and sis? If I don't see you again, I love you. Good luck."

She smiled softly. "Thanks, Johnny-boy." As soon as he left she turned her attention back to the window, and saw a familiar masked face gazing back at her, with a deep breath, she opened the first floor window and climbed out, across the way, Laurie, in the window of her office, watched with a sigh. "Good luck, kiddo."

Outside, where he was having a smoke, Mort looked up and out of the bit of bushes, and nearly choked on the cigarette when he saw Jennifer calmly approaching her psychotic uncle. He watched briefly, Michael was armed with his ususal kitchen knife, but made no attempt to lift it when she stepped close, she stopped about three or four inches away from him and just watched him, then began walking past him, and Michael followed. Mort slowly crept from behind the bush, tossed the half out butt, and moved far enough out to see they were heading to the driveway that led to the gate. He slipped into the bushes along that path and followed them down to the end, and when she moved toward Michael's stolen car, he ran out. "Jen! What's wrong with you!? Don't go with him!"

Where she stood, right by the door of the SUV, Jen froze, her shoulders straightened and she turned around. "Go back to the school, Mort."

"Jen,"

"Dammit listen to me!" Her tone betrayed her fear. "Now if you don't go back, I won't stop him from killing you, this could be very easy, or very hard, I would prefer it to be easy. Don't fuck that up."

"Fuck WHAT up? He's your fucking uncle!"

"And I'm the only one that can stop him."

She opened the car door and slid in, took a deep breath and shut the door, once Michael was in her heartbeat doubled, trebled and she was gasping for breath, it had been so many years since she'd felt Thorn's power near her, and now that it had the purpose for her in mind, she was terrified. It had always intrigued her, but now that she was involved, meant to save her family, she was filled with doubt and she felt so alone.

She fell asleep a half hour into the ride, and didn't wake until she was in her own bed back in Smith's Grove.

* * *

"What the fuck, Laurie! You aren't going after her!?"

"Mort, you have to understand, if she doesn't do this, John dies, I die, Jamie dies and anyone we love dies." She demonstrated with her hands, the one about staying higher. "Stay with Michael and save everyone, including you, hide and let him kill everyone until he gets his way anyway." She looked questioningly at him.

"But she'll . . . She'll be back? Soon?"

Laurie frowned and sighed, dropped her hands and placed them on her hips. "Mort she isn't, at least not for you, Jenn's gonna fall in love with him and raise a family."

"What!"

"It's part of the prophecy, and everything's gone according to it so far . . ."

"You don't really believe that shit do you?"

"Yes I do! You have no idea what me and those girls have been through, so if you're smart, you'll back the fuck off of her!" She covered her face with a hand. "Mort, if I'd have known having children would mean giving my daughters to a curse I never would have. There is nothing I regret more than the suffering those girls have done."

He frowned more deeply and left the room, then the school, got a room at a hotel and made plans to take a flight back to New York, he had to come up with some plan to get Jennifer back, no matter what her mother said, maybe that Joel kid would help.


End file.
